Webinar Wednesday 200 – May 14, 2025

Brilliant Directories Mobile App (00:01:43)

• The Brilliant Directories mobile app is available for download on Apple and Google Play stores, allowing users to stay updated on new members and revenue on their site, with an upcoming update promising live, real-time notifications (00:01:43).
• The updated version of the app will provide users with instant notifications when new members join or new revenue is generated, making it easier to stay informed on-the-go (00:02:00).
• To celebrate Webinar Wednesday 200, viewers can visit the BD swag store at shop.brilliantdirectories.com and use the coupon code “webinar 200” for a $20 discount, as well as the code “free ship” for free shipping worth $30 (00:02:37).
• The BD swag store offers a variety of products, including cups, koozies, hats, bottles, notebooks, mouse pads, and more, and viewers are encouraged to use both coupon codes to receive their free items (00:02:55).
• Webinar Wednesday is a weekly event where the BD team shares new features and updates, answers questions, and provides tips on how to grow a community, with topics covering increasing traffic, converting visitors to members, and identifying revenue opportunities (00:04:12).
• The BD team welcomes new viewers and encourages them to participate in the Q&A session, where they can ask strategy, technical, or design-related questions and receive help and feedback (00:04:32).
• The webinar also covers lab updates, which may be more technical in nature, and viewers are invited to ask questions about these updates in the chat (00:05:10).
• The BD team is busy pushing new updates and features to the BD platform, with many of these updates coming from suggestions made by the community, and they aim to help users grow their communities faster (00:04:32).

RSS: Emojis show in BD RSS feeds-they aren’t stripped from post content (00:05:33)

• The RSS feed for posts that comes as an add-on with Brilliant Directories now supports emojis and special characters, which means they will no longer be stripped from the RSS feed data (00:05:33).
• This update is beneficial for users who utilize their RSS feeds to aggregate content to other platforms or use tools that automatically add content to emails, as emojis are now included in the feeds (00:05:33).
• Emojis are considered important elements, comparable to title text or descriptions, and their inclusion in the RSS feeds will enhance the content shared on other platforms or via email (00:05:54).

EDIT POSTS: Admins see quick links on the front-end for instant updates (00:06:07)

• Admins can now edit posts more easily with a quick link on the front-end of their site, allowing for instant updates while navigating the site (00:06:07).
• To access the admin toolbar, which includes the edit post link, admins can click on the orange “visit website” link in their admin area, and this will display the toolbar on the side of the site (00:06:26).
• The edit post link is visible when viewing a specific post, such as “sample post number eight”, and clicking on it takes the admin directly to the page where they can edit the post, regardless of which member published it (00:07:01).
• The edit post link provides admins with the freedom to make corrections or alterations to posts from the front-end, eliminating the need to search for the post in the admin area (00:07:21).

SECURITY: Spam bots with no name are blocked from crawling and wasting bandwidth (00:07:39)

• Bandwidth usage can be saved by blocking spam bots that have no user agent names associated with them, which helps prevent unwanted bots from wasting bandwidth (00:07:39).
• Google crawls sites to rank them, and this is a desirable action, but other unwanted bots can cause bandwidth waste, and measures have been taken to block them (00:07:39).
• The blockage of spam bots without user agent names has been hardened to further prevent them from crawling sites and wasting bandwidth, which should help sites save on bandwidth usage (00:07:59).

API LOGS: Store full API responses for debugging-disable to reduce disk space use (00:08:10)

• The Brilliant Directory site has an option to store full API responses, which is useful for developers who need to debug or find errors, but it takes up disk space (00:08:10).
• Storing API logs can be disabled if not being used for debugging purposes, and this setting is likely disabled by default to conserve disk space (00:08:29).
• The API log setting can be found in the advanced settings by searching for “API log”, and enabling it will save up to 5,000 records of full API responses, which can be useful for developers doing debugging (00:08:46).
• Disabling the API log setting can help save disk space if it’s not being used, and the name of this advanced setting is provided for those who want to access it directly (00:09:05).

CODE CHECK: Any errors in Menus and Forms display without breaking pages (00:09:16)

• The code check feature is primarily designed for developers, allowing them to identify errors in menus and forms on the front end of a site without causing the entire web page to break, making it easier to diagnose and fix issues (00:09:16).
• Previously, if a form like a contact us form or a menu had a PHP error, the entire web page would break and show a white screen, but now the error is compartmentalized, making it easier for developers to locate the source of the problem (00:09:37).
• This update provides a quality of life feature for developers, enabling them to see exactly where an error is coming from, rather than having to search through the entire page, and allowing them to code more efficiently with a better understanding of where errors originate (00:09:55).

CNAME: Connect domains via CNAME-enables BD in a subfolder (coming soon) (00:10:26)

• Connecting a custom domain name to a Brilliant Directory site can be done in two ways: by pointing name servers to Brilliant Directories or by pointing to an A record with an IP address, and a new method called CNAME will be available soon (00:10:26).
• The CNAME method is similar to the A record method, but it will enable support for subfolder hosting, allowing users to load their Brilliant Directory site on an existing site, such as a WordPress site, instead of connecting it to a subdomain (00:10:44).
• The introduction of the CNAME connection method for domains will be the first step towards offering subfolder hosting options, which will be available later, providing more flexibility for users with existing sites (00:11:02).

ADVANCED SETTINGS: Cleaner layout with improved grouping and labels (coming soon) (00:11:18)

• The advanced settings section in Brilliant Directories contains a large number of settings, with over 400 available, and an effort is being made to improve the organization and grouping of these settings for better usability (00:11:18).
• The plan is to introduce a tabbed system and sub-settings to compartmentalize the advanced settings, making it easier to navigate and more similar to the general settings and design settings (00:11:35).
• The improved organization will also enable better documentation of each advanced setting in the support documentation, allowing for each setting to be pinned to its respective tab and subsection (00:11:55).
• The goal is to have the over 200 advanced settings better organized and grouped, with potential for further improvements over time (00:12:12).

WP FORMS: Sync WP form submissions to create Members or Leads (coming soon) (00:12:23)

• WordPress plugins have been developed, with two already released, including one for sending customer data from Woo Commerce to Brilliant Directories as member data, and another for migrating WordPress posts to Brilliant Directories, allowing for easy export of blog posts with a couple of clicks (00:12:23).
• A new plugin is coming in early June, which will sync WP form submissions, starting with Contact Form 7, to create member records or leads on Brilliant Directories, giving users more places to capture new members or generate leads from landing pages (00:13:20).
• The upcoming plugin will allow users to send form submissions from their WordPress site to their Brilliant Directories site, enabling the creation of member records or leads, and will be followed by plugins for subfolder functionality and single sign-on, allowing users to load their Brilliant Directories site on their existing WordPress site and enabling single sign-on between the two sites (00:13:38).
• The single sign-on plugin will work with tools like Woo Commerce, Buddy Press, and other registration-based plugins, allowing users to sign in to their Brilliant Directories site automatically after registering on their WordPress site (00:13:57).
• The development of these plugins is driven by community suggestions and demand, with more updates and plugins planned for release in 2025, including some that are more development-focused and others that are more user-facing (00:14:17).
• The Brilliant Directories community has played a significant role in shaping the development of these plugins, with many updates and features coming from user suggestions and feedback (00:14:35).

Greatest Hits – Top 3 Webinar Tips (00:14:47)

• To celebrate the 200th Webinar Wednesday, a selection of the most useful previous tips of the week are being highlighted, covering various topics that are relevant to both new and existing BD users, regardless of how long they have had a site (00:14:47).
• The process of narrowing down the list to just three tips was difficult, as many previous tips have stood out, but the chosen three are considered useful for all users (00:15:06).
• The three selected tips are intended to be valuable for BD users with sites of any age, from 1 month to 10 years, with the last one being considered the most invaluable tip of the week (00:15:26).

1) Optimize SEO: Where to Make Simple Edits (00:15:38)

• Optimizing SEO is crucial for improving search visibility and getting more organic traffic to a website, and there are various areas where simple edits can be made, including the homepage, static web pages, and dynamic web pages like search result pages, to customize default SEO settings (00:15:38).
• The default SEO settings for BD sites are generally good for most sites, especially when starting out, but there may be a need to tweak and optimize them later, and the admin area provides full control over SEO options (00:16:36).
• A step-by-step guide is available to help optimize SEO content, covering every area where edits can be made, and this guide is easy to follow, regardless of technical expertise, making it accessible to anyone looking to improve their website’s SEO (00:16:54).
• When starting a membership site or directory, SEO is important but not the top priority, as the initial focus should be on getting the site online, refining messaging, and ensuring a good conversion flow, before optimizing for keywords and creating unique content (00:18:04).
• A table of contents is available for the SEO optimization video, allowing viewers to fast forward to specific timestamps and topics, and the video itself is 40 minutes long and can be watched at 1.5x speed (00:17:48).
• The SEO optimization video is one of the favorite tips from past videos, and it provides valuable insights and guidance on how to improve a website’s SEO and increase its online visibility (00:17:13).

2) Reduce Churn: Re-Engage Inactive Members (00:19:17)

• Reducing churn is a crucial aspect of any business, as every website experiences some amount of churn, and there are strategies that can be followed to re-engage inactive members, such as using email templates and exclusive offers, which were discussed in the tip of the week (00:19:17).
• It is more cost-effective to try to re-engage inactive or lost members rather than acquiring new members through advertising or other marketing methods, as inactive members were already interested at one point and just need to be kept interested (00:20:36).
• Re-engaging inactive members, who may have canceled or not visited the site in a long time, can be achieved by checking the last login date, using tips to bring them back, and reestablishing the value they initially signed up for, with the ultimate goal of turning them into advocates or ambassadors of the site (00:21:52).
• The tip of the week provides ready-to-use ideas that can be implemented right away, regardless of the stage of the website journey, and includes email templates and ideas on exclusive offers that can be extended to inactive members (00:19:55).
• Re-engaging inactive members is important because it helps to reignite the flame and remind them of the value they are getting, especially for paid members, and can help to recruit new signups to the site through word of mouth advertising (00:21:33).
• The strategies discussed can help to address a dip in member login or consistent engagement from members, and can be particularly useful for websites that have imported a lot of members and experienced an initial bump in engagement and traffic that has slowly died off (00:20:16).

3) Sell More Leads: Best Practices + Examples (00:22:15)

• The topic of selling leads is crucial for lead generation sites, and it involves educating both general users and members through the website’s content and verbiage to ensure they understand what to expect when submitting a lead or quote request, and what members can expect when buying leads (00:22:15).
• A key aspect of selling leads is justifying the cost to members, which can be achieved by explaining the value that the website offers to both visitors and members, as seen in the example of the interior design pros directory, which sold leads at a higher market rate (00:22:55).
• The interior design pros directory was used as a case study to demonstrate how to justify selling leads at a higher price, with old screenshots showing how the site explained and justified the value of its leads to both visitors and members (00:23:34).
• The concept of selling leads is important for most business directory site owners, as it can generate the majority of their revenue, with professionals paying to be listed or to receive leads from consumers (00:25:04).
• Leads are typically sold to professionals at a nominal cost, as not every lead guarantees a client or job, and the cost needs to be low enough for them to take a chance on selling their services (00:25:21).
• There may be a need for a refresher course on leads in a future webinar, as some viewers expressed uncertainty about what leads are or how to sell them, and a previous video on generating and selling leads was shared as a resource (00:25:57).
• The topic of selling leads will likely be covered again in a future webinar, as it is a viable revenue channel for most business directory users, unless they are using the platform as a private consumer community (00:26:16).

How to update widgets via API (00:26:56)

• A question is asked by Brad about updating widgets via the API, and it is more of a feature suggestion to have the option to lock widgets so they cannot be updated via the API, or to have them locked by default and then unlock them (00:26:56).
• The importance of keeping the API key secret is emphasized, as APIs are private and the API key string is only given once, and if it is compromised, it can be deleted and recreated (00:27:17).
• It is recommended to update the API key periodically, every 3 to 6 months, as a best practice, similar to updating passwords, even if there are no fears of the API being leaked or compromised (00:27:37).

Sample website for selling leads (00:27:54)

• The website renoggiants.com is an example of a site for selling leads, specifically for renovation experts, and it appears to be generating leads that are resold to professionals in the network (00:27:54).
• The website has a robust list of around 48,000 contractors and allows users to search for contractors or request quotes, with the site matching users with contractors based on location and service requested (00:28:13).
• The homepage of the website is geared towards getting quotes and has a search feature, and the BD system sends leads to members who match the location and category selected, giving them the opportunity to purchase the lead (00:28:33).
• The lead generation process involves sending leads to a handful of members who match the criteria, allowing them to purchase the lead, and this process is demonstrated using the example of searching for bathroom remodeling in Reno, Nevada (00:28:52).
• The website is a good example of a lead generation site and a directory, with the BD system playing a key role in matching users with contractors and facilitating the sale of leads to members (00:29:11).

ECH update (00:29:37)

• The site in question operates in the B2B space, where AC, or bank transfer, is the most preferred payment method, surpassing credit cards, PayPal, and other wallets (00:29:37).
• An update on the upcoming feature was requested, and it was confirmed that the feature is in the works and expected to be available in 2025, with the implementation path going through Stripe, Inc. (00:29:54).
• Stripe will allow for the unlocking of various payment methods, including credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and bank transfers, by entering the routing number and checking account number (00:30:13).
• Once the necessary mechanisms are in place to unlock these wallets within Stripe, they will be displayed as acceptable payment methods on the checkout page, although this is still a couple of steps away (00:30:31).
• The implementation of this feature is complex and involves a lot of details, and additional questions were raised about adding other features, but the primary focus is on the upcoming bank transfer feature via Stripe (00:30:50).

How to add a forum to your site (00:30:56)

• To add a forum to a site, a discussions post type is available, which allows for categories, such as feature requests, and enables members to create posts and comment on them, with notification options when new comments are made (00:31:14).
• The discussions post type is similar to a smaller version of blog posts, where members can post discussions and comments, and receive notifications when someone replies to their comments, facilitating engagement among members (00:31:52).
• The functionality of the discussions post type can be simplified by removing the content and only keeping the title, which can be used for more Twitter-like discussions where people leave comments based on the title (00:32:51).
• The discussions post type can be used to create a basic forum, and while it may not have all the functionality of a third-party platform, it provides a simple way to generate interaction between members (00:30:56).
• The development team is working on unlocking Stripe, Inc. version, which will allow for the integration of PayPal and other payment gateways, making it easier to release new gateways in the future (00:33:27).

How to charge one-time visitors and businesses (00:34:18)

• To charge one-time visitors for submitting a query while also charging businesses, a possible approach is to create a digital product that, after purchase, allows the buyer to submit a “get matched” form one time, which can be used to create a lead, with the confirmation page being the “get matched” form (00:34:18).
• Another method is to use the pay per post feature, where the free member pays a small fee, such as $1, to create a post that is then converted into a lead using the BD API or web hooks, with tools like Zapier facilitating the process, and this approach is considered to have a low to medium skill level as it involves configuration rather than heavy coding (00:34:36).
• The pay per post method involves the user creating a post, which is not a public post but rather a way to initiate lead creation, and this post is then converted into a lead through the use of web hooks and the API, providing a workaround for charging free users to initiate a lead that business members can pay for (00:34:54).

How to create a custom receipt for a digital download (00:35:42)

• The current system for digital downloads provides the same receipt as a membership purchase, and the receipt includes the product purchased, with the invoice showing the status, such as “paid”, and containing standard information like the invoice ID, user’s name, and billing address, if provided (00:35:42).
• The invoice for a digital product or donation includes the description of what was purchased, and whether it’s a membership plan purchase, one-time lead purchase, or digital product, with the receipt being a basic invoice that doesn’t allow for much customization (00:36:02).
• Some users have made small modifications to the invoices, such as adding information for EU requirements, by contacting the support team, but the invoices will always include the specific product name purchased, providing a simple invoice receipt (00:36:19).
• The invoice contains the company’s logo or website name, and the invoice ID is generated by the system, with the receipt showing the product that was purchased, and the description of the digital product or donation (00:36:36).
• The system does not allow for significant changes to be made to the invoices, but users can contact the support team for minor modifications, and the receipt will always include the product name and description, providing some guidance on customizing the receipt (00:36:59).

How to update widgets via API (00:37:40)

• Updating widgets via API can be a concern, especially when working with multiple directories, as a simple mistake can wipe out important customized widgets, and the API call only requires the widget ID to update, which can lead to accidental overwrites (00:37:40).
• The idea of having a “lock widget” feature, where widgets are locked by default and can be unlocked for updates, is suggested as a potential solution to prevent accidental changes and data loss (00:38:16).
• A recent update has introduced revision history for post type code, allowing users to revert back to previous versions, and a similar feature is planned for widgets in the coming months, which will provide some relief in case of emergencies or accidental overwrites (00:39:08).
• The “lock widget” feature is considered a useful setting, especially for users who only need to update a handful of widgets and want to eliminate the risk of mistakes, as most people do not need to access the majority of their widgets (00:39:44).
• Some users, like Brad, have been using the API to update their widgets and have encountered minor issues, such as updates not being reflected on the live site until the page is refreshed or saved, which is being worked on by the support team (00:40:02).
• The support team has been helpful in addressing these issues, and users appreciate the efforts to improve the feature and make it more reliable, with fixes being implemented to resolve problems like updates getting “stuck” and not being reflected on the live site (00:40:38).

How to assign 5-6 members to a group monthly with automation (00:41:02)

• To assign 5-6 members to a group on a monthly basis with automation, a possible approach is to create a discussions channel for those members, giving them access to post and comment within that channel, and encouraging them to chat within their group (00:41:52).
• Another option is to create a membership plan that allows those 5-6 members to only contact and see each other, effectively making them their own private community, which can be achieved by making the site member-only (00:42:35).
• The goal of this automated system is to match members based on complementary businesses, diversity, and experience levels, pairing established and emerging entrepreneurs, and providing a structured networking and peer-to-peer connection experience (00:41:18).
• There are examples of similar systems being used successfully, such as a business networking women’s group that grouped 8 women together for an 8-week course to empower each other and themselves (00:43:54).
• To implement this system, users can refer to webinars such as “how to make your site member-only” on Brilliant Directories, which provides guidance on locking people into certain post types and members they can see (00:43:15).
• The automated system can be customized to fit specific needs, such as creating groups with names like “purple group” or “orange team” and encouraging members to chat within their group (00:42:54).

How to match a member to an event using webhooks (00:44:42)

• To match a single member to a particular event, it is necessary to consider the criteria for matching, such as category or location, in order to use webhooks to activate emails, and this can be achieved by using third-party tools like Mailorite or Pabi, which allow members to subscribe to specific post types or categories (00:44:42).
• Mailorite is a tool that enables members to subscribe to different post types, such as sporting events, and receive notifications via email when those events are published on the site, and it also works with RSS feeds to send updates to members (00:45:17).
• The use of tools like Mailorite or Pabi allows for workflows where members can receive updates on specific categories or posts, and emails can be sent automatically, or alternatively, SMS tools like Text Magic can be used to send text messages instead of emails (00:45:59).
• The Brilliant Directories Facebook group is available for members to ask questions and access the replay of the webinar, and the Brilliant Directories YouTube channel can be subscribed to for future webinars and updates (00:46:57).
• The next webinar will be held in two weeks, and members can access the Brilliant Directories swag store using the codes “webinar200” and “freeship” to get free shipping on their orders (00:47:35).